You're My World
by Nephenee
Summary: Ichigo has failed to save Orihime, and now lies bloody and near death in Hueco Mundo. Urahara needs a replacement, and finds it in Tatsuki. However, she must pay an unthinkable price to save the girl she loves...
1. Observer

Note: This is taking place in an AU. In this world, only Tatsuki saw Ichigo, Ishida and Chad go through the portal into Hueco Mundo. In addition, Ichigo did not reach Orihime, and she is still trapped inside Heuco Mundo. Also, Urahara doesn't call Isshin "Kurosaki", because between a few friends of mine, we've come up with the theory that Isshin is really part of the Shiba clan, so I wrote it in.

_Observer_

Urahara sighed, and turned away from the floating screen in front of him.

"So, you couldn't reach her after all, Mr Kurosaki. Looks like I over-estimated your potential."

He waved his hand, and the screen dispersed, disappearing into the air.

Taking his hat off his head, he began to talk to himself.

"Now who's going to save her? Soul Society don't care, and Kurosaki failed."

He was interrupted by the sound of a bell.

Without looking, he shouted.

"Whoever you are, we're closed for today. You'll have to get your stuff from down the road."

Urahara heard a laugh from behind him.

"Come now, Kisuke. Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

Urahara turned around, recognising the voice, sighing as he went.

"I suppose you're here about your son?"

"I might be. How's he doing?"

Urahara snapped his fingers and the screen reformed.

"Not good. See for yourself."

The man looked over Urahara's shoulder, at the bruised and bloodied figure lying on the floor, so many miles away.

He sighed. "Think he'll get up from this one?"

Urahara replied, with intrigue in his voice. "Oh he'll get up, all right. I just want to see whether he'll keep going or not. Don't you?"

The man laughed. "Well, when you've got guts like that, he's gonna keep going. Gets it from his old man, I guess!" He roared.

Urahara turned around, face hidden by his hat.

"What would his siblings say? After all, the family wouldn't be too happy, would they, Mr Shiba?"

Isshin frowned. "I abandoned that name years ago, I told you that."

Urahara slightly grinned. "I just wanted to see the look on your face, Mr Kurosaki."

He lightly tapped the screen, and it changed to a view of Ishida.

"What about this one?"

"Ryuuken's kid?"

Urahara nodded.

"He'll be fine. Ryuuken's tougher than I am on his kids, so you don't need to worry about that one."

"Say, Kurosaki?"

"Hmm?"

"What are Ms. Inoue's friends like?"

"Why?"

"For example, does she have a friend who protects her from anything?"

"She's got some girl that's good at martial arts...why?"

Without another word, Urahara whipped around, grabbed his dark green coat, and briskly strode out the door.


	2. Angry, But Only For You

_Angry, But Only For You_

Tatsuki was angry. Very angry. Even after Urahara had explained that Ichigo was perfectly capable of rescuing Orihime, she doubted it. She wanted to do it. She wanted to rescue Orihime with her own two hands. Maybe then, she'd finally accept her love after all these years.

"Why! Why do you love that bastard!" she yelled.

Just the thought of Orihime ignoring her, and instead going for someone who obviously didn't love her was soul-destroying.

She slumped onto her bed, trying to banish the thoughts from her mind.

However, as she was trying to picture the scenario in her head where she would finally come out and tell Orihime she loved her, the doorbell rang.

"Urgh, fuck off." She ignored it, and went back to her thoughts.

However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that this visitor, whoever it was, may be important.

She got off her bed, and slowly clambered down the stairs.

Cautiously, she opened the door, making sure to keep the bolt latched.

Standing there was a man dressed in green robes, with an even darker green coat on. A green and white striped hat emblazoned his blond hair.

"Ms. Arisawa. I need to talk to you."

"Oh, I know you. You're that guy who runs that tiny store. Urahara, yeah?"

She unlatched the bolt, and let him in.

Wasting no time, he walked briskly into the living room, and sat down on a chair.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No, this is urgent. Come in and sit down, now."

"Alright, suit yourself..."

She entered the living room, and sat opposite Urahara.

"."

"Urgh, don't call me that, call me Tatsuki."

Urahara ignored her, and carried on.

"Ms. Arisawa. You remember Kurosaki and his friends leaving to save , yes?"

"Damn fucking right I do! The bastards left me behind!"

Urahara continued.

"I can offer you a path into where they've gone, ."

Tatsuki was stunned.

"You...can...."

"Yes. However, the price is anything above you can ever imagine."

Tatsuki stood up.

"I don't care what the price is! I'll go and get her!"

Urahara grinned.

"You really do love her, don't you?"

Tatsuki blushed, and sat back down.

"No...I mean, not as a...not that."

Urahara laughed and winked.

"It's okay. I won't tell her. You gotta do that yourself."

Urahara stood up himself.

"Meet me outside my shop tomorrow at 2 am. Say your goodbyes to anyone you want. Act as if you're never coming back."

Tatsuki nodded. "I'll pay that price! Anything you want, you can have!"

Urahara turned and seemed to glide out of the room.

Tatsuki was renewed with a new sense of purpose. She finally had a chance to go with them. Sprinting up into her room, she hastily threw a few things into a bag.

Then, sitting down on her bed, she picked up her phone, dialled in a few numbers, and lifted the headset to her ear.

"Kiego? Hey. I'm going away..."


	3. Desert Beats

_Desert Beats_

Tatsuki waited. She checked her watch. 01:59. Urahara should be here any second now.

As if Tatsuki looking at her watch was his cue, the door to 'Urahara Shoten' opened, and the owner leisurely strolled out.

"Welcome."

Tatsuki swallowed. "I'm ready."

Urahara slyly smiled. "Excellent. Then, close your eyes..."

Tatsuki obeyed. The next thing she felt was Urahara's hands on her head. Then, suddenly, she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she was in a large, desert-like area, with a few withered trees scattered around the landscape.

She recognised it instantly. This was the place where Ichigo had gone to rescue Orihime.

Urahara was standing beside her, staring at her.

Tatsuki got to her feet, and instantly noticed that there was no gate similar to the one she had seen Ichigo go through.

"Hey, Kisuke! There's no gate!"

Urahara chuckled. However, it was more of an angry chuckle than a happy one.

"All in good time, Arisawa."

Tatsuki screwed up her face, and turned away.

"Fine, be like that."

"Now, we have a few things we need to discuss before you go to rescue your friend, Ms Arisawa."

Tatsuki turned to face him, and folded her arms.

"Go on."

Urahara raised a finger.

"First thing. Mr Kurosaki failed to reach Ms Inoue. That's why I'm giving you the power to do something about it. I figured someone motivated by love, such as yourself would be able to act as a better Recon act than Mr. Kurosaki there."

This didn't surprise Tatsuki, it instilled a yet deeper anger into her.

She nodded.

Urahara raised another finger.

"Two. As you know, you must pay a price to gain this power."

Tatsuki nodded again. "Anything. I'll pay it."

Urahara looked diagonally down at the floor, and drew his sword from its cane holster.

"What are you doing with that thing?"

"The price, , is your life."

"My...life?"

"Yes. You will never be able to live in the human world again if you take this path. You will join the Shinigami for the rest of your days, never able to enter the human world again. I've explained the Shinigami to you before."

Tatsuki's legs seemed to collapse frrom beneath her. She fell to her knees, deeply shocked by what she had just heard.

"I'll never..I'll....die? I'll never see Orihime again?"

"Yes. However, without you, she will die. Will it be your life, or hers?"

Her voice was shaky now.

"I'll..."

"What was that?"

"I don't want to die...I can't. I have to see her..."

"Do you truly love her?"

Tatsuki was furious at this. How dare he even think that!

"Of course!"

"Do you want to save her?"

"Damn fucking right I do! I'll kill anyone that gets in my way!"

"You're in your own way."

Tatsuki looked away in regret for an instant, but then stood up, and faced Urahara, a new passion burning in her eyes.

"Alright."

Urahara muttered something under his breath, and his sword changed shape. He pointed it at Tatsuki.

"You're ready?"

"Yes."  
Urahara held his blood-red sword to her heart.  
"No turning back. Once you die, you're gone forever."  
"Kill me."  
"Excellent."  
Without further hesitation, he plunged the blade straight into her heart.  
Instantaneously, Tatsuki crumpled. Her lifeless body hit the floor of the desert.


	4. Standing On The Side Of The World

_Standing On The Side Of The World_

Tatsuki woke up in an odd world. She was on the side of a skyscraper.  
Standing up, she realised that somehow, gravity was keeping her there.  
Above her, a fox was standing on the top floor of the skyscraper.  
The fox began to slowly walk towards Tatsuki, obeying the same laws of gravity that she did.  
As the fox got closer, its fur seemed to peel, then float away. As it did, the fox stood on two legs.  
By the time it reached Tatsuki, it had transformed completely. Standing in front of Tatsuki now, was a woman. She had long amber hair, which curled very slightly at the ends. She wore what seemed to be a dress, made completely out of orange silk. Adorning her head was a crown, and two fox ears.  
"Greetings."  
Tatsuki wasn't sure how to greet this woman, so she stayed silent.  
The woman giggled.  
"You have been presented with a choice, have you not?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you paid the cost?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, I shall deliver onto you the promised power, then."  
She held out her hand, and a sword gently faded into vision, floating slightly above her hand.  
The blade seemed to glow a faint orange, almost as if it was on fire. The hilt formed the shape of a dragon curled around the grip. A small green ribbon hung off the end.  
"Take it."  
Tatsuki reached out nervously, and took the sword.  
As soon as it touched her hand, she knew it was hers. She couldn't describe how, but she knew that this sword had been forged for her.  
The woman spoke again.  
"You are now in command of my powers. You hold me in front of you."  
Tatsuki nodded. Urahara hold told her about this.  
"Then. Please, tell me your name."  
"Gintourou."  
As the woman finished telling Tatsuki this last piece of information, Tatsuki's vision began to fade.  
Before Tatsuki faded completely out of consciousness, the woman uttered one last piece of advice.  
"Your love's life is in your hands now."  
With that, Tatsuki lost her vision, and the building faded away.


	5. Desert Beats :Death's Power Mix:

_Desert Beats :Death's Power Remix:_

She awoke in the desert again.  
The first thing she noticed was that her clothes had changed. She was now in a jet-black robe, with a small white belt around her waist. The sword she had obtained from the strange girl was in a small loop in the belt. She stood up, and looked around.  
And again, without fail, Urahara was there.  
"I see I was successful."  
"I don't feel any more powerful."  
"But your soul is alive. Can't say the same thing for the rest of you, though."  
He pointed over to a body on the floor.  
Tatsuki saw, but she didn't want to see. It was hers.  
"I'm not gonna be able to go back, am I?"  
Urahara shook his head.  
"No. And even if you could, nothing can heal a sword wound to the heart."  
He picked up the body with both hands.  
Tatsuki squirmed, and looked away.  
"Just, make sure my friends know I died peacefully, okay?"  
Urahara looked at the body, and then back at Tatsuki. "Alright."

Tatsuki turned to him. "Now, I need to go."  
Urahara laid the body on the floor, and clicked his fingers.  
The sky seemed to tear, and inside the tear was nothing but blackness.  
"This portal will take you to where Ms. Inoue is being held. Once you have rescued her, use this."  
He handed her a small amulet with a skull design on it.  
"This will call me to your location. I'll take Ms. Inoue back to the human world."  
Tatsuki nodded, and looked at the floor. "And then, you take me away."  
Urahara stared at her with a piercing look. "Yes. Then, I'll take you to the Soul Society. From there, you'll probably never see her again."  
She turned her head, but then looked forward, resolute.  
"Goodbye for a bit, Kisuke."  
Then, without another word, she stepped through the portal, which closed behind her.  
Urahara stood and stared for a while, then picked up Tatsuki's lifeless body, and walked away.  
"Love is a weird thing..."


	6. Trapped In Your White World

_Trapped In Your White World_

Tatsuki emerged in a completely white room.  
There was nothing in it but a small white bed in the corner, and a small barred window near the ceiling. She turned around, and saw a door with a small window inside it. It too had bars across it. Without thinking, she opened it, and walked out into the corridor on the other side.  
She seemed to be in some sort of prison. Looking into the many doors lining the walls, there were various people in white robes in them.  
Tatsuki's first thought would be to ask people if a woman with long orange hair had been brought in. However, she decided against it. They would get jealous that no-one had come for them, and not tell her anything.  
She decided to keep looking.

After two hours, Tatsuki had gotten fed up. Obviously Urahara didn't know where Orihime was.  
She was about to get up and begin searching again, when a voice called her from one of the cells.  
"Oi, Shinigami!"  
She turned around. "What?"  
The voice spoke again. "Come over here."  
She obeyed. "What do you want?"  
The voice spoke again, and its owner moved into the light. It belonged to an elderly Arrancar, whose mask ran from under his right eye, directly into his neck in a long thin strip.  
"You're looking for the human girl, yes?"  
"Yes! Do you know where she is?"  
"I do."  
"Please, tell me!"  
"She's in that cell over there. Poor thing just sits there staring at the window all day."  
"Thank you!"  
"No problem, lass. I feel so sorry for her."  
Tatsuki ran over and looked into the cell the old Arrancar had pointed at.  
There she was, standing there, looking at the window, just as he had described.

A tear fell down Tatsuki's cheek. She could finally pick up where those other idiots had left off.  
Moving into a stance, she twisted a leg, kicked out and hit the lock of the cage. It didn't budge.  
"Fuck!" Tatsuki tried again, but to no avail. She looked into the room to see whether Orihime had noticed her attempts, but she was just staring mindlessly at the window.  
"Fuck!" Tatsuki looked down at her feet. She had really let herself go since Orihime had been kidnapped.  
She pulled the sword out from around her waist, and pointed the tip at the door.  
Then, she charged. The door still would not move.  
"Fuck!"  
Tatsuki fell to the floor, her back towards the doo, and held her sword to her forehead.  
"What do I do..."  
A voice seemed to come out of nowhere.  
"Call my name."  
"What? Who?" She looked at her sword. "You?"  
"Yes. Call my name. I can help you release your friend. You know what to say."  
Tatsuki stood up, grasped the sword firmly in both hands, and yelled.  
"Shield my friends, Gintourou!"  
"Congratulations..."  
A flash of white light enveloped Tatsuki and her sword. When it dispersed, Tatsuki held a shield in her left hand. It was silver, with a orange fox emblazoning it's design.  
Instantly, Tatsuki charged at the door. It came off it's hinges, and span off to the side of the room.  
"Hime! I'm here!"


	7. Trapped In Your White World :Jail Mix:

_Trapped In Your White World :Jailbird Mix:_

"Tatsuki? What are you doing here?"  
"I've come to rescue you, Hime! You're going back."  
Orihime looked around the room, and out the space where the door had been.  
"Where's Kurosaki-kun?"  
"He failed, Orihime. I came to get you in his place."  
"Oh, I was hoping..."  
Tatsuki reached out, and delivered a harsh slap to her face.  
"Tatsuki, what was that for?"  
Tears were streaming down Tatsuki's face. This was destroying her.  
She screamed at Orihime.  
"Why are you so obsessed with him? Aren't I good enough for you?"  
"Tatsuki..."  
"No! Shut up! I can see you love him more than me, your best friend."  
"You should have known that from the start...you know I always loved him...."  
Tatsuki slapped her again. Her voice lowered. It was shaking, both out of rage and sadness.  
"_I _loved you! I gave everything I had to be here, you ungrateful _bitch_!"  
She slapped her again. Orihime just took it, a hurt look on her face.  
"I don't even know why I saved you."  
Reaching around the white cloth on her waist, she pressed the skull.  
"Urahara's coming to get you."  
Orihime looked surprised. "First, you come, then you go? What's..."  
Tatsuki stared at her. "I _died _to save you. And what do you do? You deny my love, and chase after an impossible target." She turned around,weeping gently.  
Orihime came up behind her, and put her hands on her shoulder.  
"Don't fucking touch me!" Tatsuki swatted her hand away, and shouted at her again.  
"I loved you. I didn't want anyone else to have you. I wanted you to be mine. I thought that if I rescued you, rather than Ichigo, you'd return my love, but I guess not."  
"Tatsuki..."  
"Drop it."

Suddenly, a small tear opened up in the cell, and Urahara stepped out of it.  
He turned to Orihime. "Are you ready to go?"  
She turned to him and nodded.  
He turned around, and stepped into the crack again.  
"Say your goodbyes, ."  
Orhime span on her heels and faced Urahara.  
"What do you mean?"  
Urahara sighed. "Tatsuki died to be here. She told you that."  
"Yes, but, what does that _mean_?"  
"Exactly what it sounds like. Tatsuki died to get you out. She loved you, Ms. Inoue. She sacrificed herself to rescue you from this place. She's not returning to the human world. She never will."  
Orihime turned to look at Tatsuki.  
Without turning around, Tatsuki spoke.  
"He's right. But that's when I loved you. Not anymore. I couldn't care if you died now. But, looks like Urahara won't let my sacrifice be in vain."  
"Tatsuki, I didn't know..."  
"Well, you do now."  
"You'll still be my friend, Tatsuki..."  
Tatsuki didn't reply.  
Urahara broke the awkward moment up.  
"We need to go."  
Orihime nodded, and stepped into the rift.  
"Wait here, Arisawa. I'll be back for you."  
They turned around, and the rift closed.

Tatsuki collapsed into tears.


	8. Time Keeps Ticking

_Epilogue - Time Keeps Ticking - 15 Years - Tatsuki_

Tatsuki sighed. These missions were really starting to pile up. Hollow elimination at 05:00, and recruiting new Shinigami from 07:00.  
"Nanao!"  
"Yes?"  
"I need some help with this paperwork!"  
"Got it, babe."  
"Thanks."  
Nanao came and sat next to Tatsuki. "You okay? It's the 15th Anniversary of that girl breaking your heart, you know."  
Tatsuki reached out and kissed her. "I'm fine. I've got you, haven't I?"  
Nanao smiled, and kissed her back. "Yep!"  
They kissed again, and Tatsuki rested her head on Nanao's shoulder.  
"I love you."  
"Me too."  
With that, Tatsuki sat up, and started to work on her paperwork again.  
Nanao smiled, and picked up Tatsuki's pile.  
"Hmm?"  
"You take the rest of the day off, i'll do this."  
"Thanks!"  
"No problem."

Tatsuki stood up, and walked out of her room. Turning down the corridor, she headed out of Squad 7's barracks. Since Orihime had rejected her on that day, 15 years ago, she had found someone else. Ise Nanao, Lieutenant of Squad 8. Unlike what she thought she had with Orihime, this had really happened. And now, Tatsuki was happy.  
She took a Hell Butterfly from its holding case, and a door opened in front of her. She entered it, and she exited outside a small house in Karakura Town.

The nameplate on the wall outside the door said "Asano". She walked through the gate, and entered the house."Hi, guys!"

She did this for 3 other houses: The Honsho, Yasutora and Ishida households.  
She still visited her friends. After all, they were still her friends. It wasn't right to just leave them completely. The Hell Butterfly flew outside one door, and Tatsuki sighed.  
There was one house she always avoided.  
She held out her palm and the butterfly landed on it. "Nanao...we're not gonna get back, not even close. I'm sorry."  
She made a circular motion, and a door appeared in front of her.  
She stepped through it, but not before looking back at the plate of the house.  
"Kurosaki" was emblazoned on it.


	9. TIme Keeps Ticking :ftOrihime:

_Epilogue – Time Keeps Ticking – 15 Years – Orihime_

"Come on, Hime. It's been 2 weeks since this baby was born. We need to give it a name."  
"I know! But I can't think of one..."  
Then, it came to her. She looked down at her baby girl with a few tufts of black hair and smiled.  
"Ichigo?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm gonna call her...Tatsuki."


End file.
